A Frame-By-Frame Breakdown of Vince Carter's Dunk of Death
15 years to the day.
Image via Complex Original
During the preliminary rounds of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, the United States Men's team faced off against France. The only notable player on France's team was Frederic Weis, a 7-foot-2 center who the New York Knicks drafted with the 15th pick the year prior. The Knicks wanted to replace Patrick Ewing so bad they passed on native son Ron Artest to take a center with bad knees. Artest was taken by the Chicago Bulls with the very next pick. I cried that day...but I digress.
Since they were playing on the other side of the globe, most of America caught the play the next day during SportsCenter. While picking the crust out of my eyes, I saw a man fly. Weis apparently felt the same way, telling ESPN, "I learned people can fly." Fifteen years later, Vince Carter scaling Frederic Weis is still the greatest in-game dunk in basketball's 124-year history. To celebrate such a monumental occasion, we put together a screenshot breakdown of Gary Payton's missed layup that led to Vince Carter jumping over a human.
This Is All Gary Payton's Fault
Kevin Garnett vs. Fred Weis
This Is Why Fred Never Played in the L
No. 8 Is A Dummy
What
Are
You Doing?
Vince Is A Blur
The Greatest Steal Since Bird in '87
Wait A Minute Vince
WAIT ONE GODDAMN MINUTE
Frédéric Weis, France national team center 2000-07: "I don't remember anything. I had my eyes closed [laughs]. I wouldn't move, for sure."
Vince Carter: "[Weis] never stepped up to me for me to pull up. He was just kind of just waiting there. So in my mind, I figured, "If I get up in the air before you jump, you don't have a shot in hell to stop me." And he stood there. I just remember putting my hand on his shoulder and going up."
[Source]
Nah. No. Nope.
What?
IDK WHAT? HOW?
Rudy Tomjanovich: "I was standing right there in the coach's box when [Vince] took off and exploded over the guy. And I was sort of in awe for a second. I turned, and Jason Kidd was right next to me, and he was yelling: 'We were here! We were here! We saw this!' I was still, like, 'That didn't really happen.'"
[Source]
DID DIS DUDE JUST DID DIS?
Super Saiyan Vinsanity
Vince Carter, from the middle of the action: "I'm on another planet at that moment. And I'm not even sure who everyone else was or where they were. When I look back on it, I always laugh to myself because I was relieved I didn't embarrass myself."
[Source]
Punches the Big Ticket in the Face
KG DGAF THO
Fred Stares Aimlessly Into the Abyss
Frédéric Weis: "I had no idea about it. The only thing I remember was [teammate] Mou [Moustapha] Sonko was screaming from the bench like it was me dunking. He was raising his arms like it was us scoring. But it wasn't me doing the dunk. I was on the receiving end."
[Source]
Vince Wit Da Flex
Shit Just Got Ugly, Doggy
Pretty Sure Fred Wants to Murder Him
Frédéric Weis: "It was great. But at the end of the day, it was just two points."
[Source]
My Man Tried to Take His Shirt Off!
If you look closely there is a man in red and white striped shirt losing his rabid mind.